Chapter 57 – Following the Trail (POV: Hestia and Eina)
—————–— PoV: Eina ———————
"Eina-chan?"
I whipped around. Misha was standing near the Guild's entrance, her eyes wide with confusion.
"Didn't you say you were taking time off?"
"Ah! That..." I scratched the back of my neck, scrambling for a reasonable excuse.
"I'm feeling better. Guess I just needed a quick rest."
"You sure? Your face still looks—"
"By the way, Misha, where are this month's patrol reports?" I said quickly, desperate to find information fast.
I asked because it's the end of the month now, so maybe the files had already been moved.
"In... in the archive room. But why—"
"There's... something I need to look for. Thanks, Misha."
Misha's gaze followed my back until I disappeared behind the archive room door.
The Guild's archive room is like a paper graveyard.
I don't even know how many times I've come to the archive room these past three days.
I'm completely numb at this point. When was the last time I was this dedicated to reading?
Since graduating from the school district?
Staring at dusty stacks of reports piled up to the ceiling, lit by a single magic crystal casting dim light.
The smell of old paper and ink hung in the stuffy air.
I took a deep breath.
Trying to breathe as little as possible so dust wouldn't get in my nose.
Grabbing a patrol report, I started reading.
First report: "Merchant reported lost wallet. No witnesses."
Second report: "Bar fight. Three people detained."
Third report: "Bread theft at Baker Johnson's shop. Perpetrator unknown."
No clues at all.
Hour after hour passed, my eyes tired from scanning tiny letters that were starting to blur.
My back ached, and my stomach was starting to rumble for food.
But I didn't stop.
At least not until I found some leads.
Forty-third report: "Merchant Tomson complained about being pickpocketed by a very fast small child. Loss: 500 Valis."
I stopped.
Small child.
Pickpocket.
Fast.
I noted the information and kept reading.
Fifty-seventh report: "Adventurer Harold reported losing a small pouch containing gems. He glimpsed a small dark-haired child running from his location."
Small pouch.
Small child.
Dark hair.
My heart started beating faster.
I kept reading with increasing focus.
Sixty-second report: "Guard Rickert reported attempted capture of two children trying to sell stolen brooches at 'Mordecai's Second-Hand' pawn shop on Daedalus Street. One small child, one older. Both managed to escape before capture."
"Mordecai," I whispered in wonder.
Couldn't be caught?
Are kids these days faster runners than experienced guards?
Even though I was confused, I didn't dwell on it.
Maybe those kids were just that good at running to escape pursuit from the patrols.
I started focusing on the clues I'd gathered.
Pawn shop.
Daedalus Street.
I grabbed a blank sheet and started putting together a timeline:
Merchant Tomson pickpocketed by small child
Adventurer Harold lost pouch, saw dark-haired child
Kaen got robbed (no official report since he didn't report it)
Two children tried to sell stolen brooches at pawn shop on Daedalus Street
A clear pattern.
I stood up too fast, the chair falling with a loud crash.
But I didn't care.
I had to get back to the church and share these findings with Hestia.
I felt like this case was getting more complicated—I had to speed up Kaen's release.
If not, it'll be really hard to get him out.
Walking away, I felt hungry.
Looks like before meeting Goddess Hestia, I should eat first. It'd be bad if I got sick before Kaen was freed.
—————PoV Goddess Hestia—————
Two hours later, I was standing in front of a drinking establishment that looked like it might collapse any second.
Peeling paint on wooden walls, cracked windows patched with cardboard, and the smell of cheap alcohol wafting from the door cracks mixed with the aroma of vomit that had been settling for years.
Beside me, a large man with a long scar on his left cheek stood checking the knife at his waist.
Gareth, the private investigator I hired with Hephaestus's money.
A former Level 3 adventurer who retired due to permanent injury to his right leg.
No, injuries can be healed—looks like he retired because he was tired of being an adventurer and wanted to live peacefully.
"You sure you want to go in, Goddess?" Gareth asked.
There was doubt in his voice, rough like sandpaper from too much yelling in the dungeon or maybe from smoking cheap cigars.
"Um... Places like this... aren't suitable for goddesses."
I watched him scratch his cheek.
Pulling my hood deeper to cover my face.
"There's no other choice. Kaen-kun needs me to do this."
Even though I was reluctant to come to this place, I didn't have many options right now.
Gareth pushed the door open with a loud protest from the hinges.
Instantly.
The sound of conversation and rough laughter stopped immediately.
Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at us—or more precisely, at me.
Even wearing a dark hood and simple clothes, my divine aura still couldn't be completely hidden.
In a place like this, I shone like a white candle in a pitch-black cave.
The bald bartender stared at me suspiciously.
Some customers at corner tables stopped drinking, their hands moving toward hidden weapons.
Was it necessary to be this wary?
With a confused expression, I could only endure it and watch Gareth talking to the bartender while pointing to the darkest corner.
Short conversation, some coins changed hands, then a thin man with rat-like eyes emerged from the shadows.
"So...," said rat-eyes as he sat across from me, the wooden chair creaking.
"A goddess needs information. How interesting." His teeth were yellow and several were missing.
His breath reeked of alcohol and something rotting.
Who knows how many years this guy hasn't brushed his teeth.
I looked down at my clenched hands, holding back the urge to kick this man and tell him to brush his teeth.
Seeing I wasn't talking.
Gareth took over, as we'd agreed.
"My client is looking for a small child. A pickpocket. Seen around the Guild a few days ago."
Rat-eyes laughed, sounding like newspaper being crumpled in a fist.
"Hmm... With a description like that, there are hundreds of kids who fit in Orario. You gotta give me something more specific. Scars? Distinctive features? Way of talking? Anything. I guarantee we can get information about them within an hour."
I fell silent. What this foul-mouthed guy said really made me speechless.
I realized it wasn't easy to find one child in Orario.
After all, there are thousands of small children in Orario city.
Discomfort started creeping into my chest.
But I held it back and spoke hesitantly, "That child... that child robbed someone I know. Near the Guild. Violently. Until the victim passed out."
Even though I knew Ryuu was the one who hit Kaen, I still had to give some useful clues.
The informant's rat eyes narrowed.
He leaned forward, interested.
"Violence? Hmm. Street kids usually just pickpocket and run. If they're using violence to the point someone passes out..." He paused, his dirty fingers tapping the table.
"There are a few gangs of small kids who've been getting bold lately. The most famous operate in the Southern District and around Daedalus Street."
Gareth pulled out a small pouch of Valis from his robe.
The sound of clinking coins made the informant's eyes sparkle like a cat seeing fish.
"The 'Sparrow' gang often operates around the Guild," the informant continued, not taking his eyes off the coin pouch.
"Their leader's a teenager, named Rick if I'm not wrong. Has a little sibling he usually brings to work. They often hang out in an empty warehouse with a hole in the roof, east side."
"What else?"
"There's also a group of kids working with illegal pawn shops. They steal, then sell stolen goods. But this..." He lowered his voice, glancing left and right.
"This isn't child's play, Goddess. They've got backing from adults. The guild already knows but they're staying quiet."
Gareth and I exchanged glances.
Even though we were surprised that the guild knew but wasn't following up.
But we didn't come to uncover that mystery—we only came looking for evidence.
And the information this smelly man gave was useful, but still too general.
Like being given a forest map but not knowing which tree the fruit I'm looking for is on.
"Anything else?" I asked directly, breaking our agreement that Gareth would do the talking.
The informant smiled, his yellow teeth looking disgusting.
My legs felt itchy—I wanted to kick him.
Can you stop smiling?
"An impatient goddess. I like that." He leaned closer, his rotten breath almost making me vomit.
"There are rumors about children working for someone on Daedalus Street. Someone who owns a shop, but their business isn't just buying and selling second-hand goods."
"Meaning?"
"Money laundering for stolen goods. Kids steal, he cleans the trail and resells at high prices to collectors who don't ask about origins." The informant picked up his beer glass and drank.
"But... this is just a rumor, Goddess. I can't guarantee its truth."
Gareth threw the coin pouch.
I felt like we were being played—we paid a lot just for a few sentences!
Moreover, I felt like his sentences were repeated several times with small additions.
So actually his information was just a few sentences explained into many sentences that basically pointed in the same direction.
I gritted my teeth.
Why did Gareth give him money!
While watching the informant catch the money skillfully, then count its contents with sparkling eyes.
"Thank you," Gareth said as he stood up.
"Your information is very helpful."
"Be careful, Goddess," the informant whispered before disappearing back into the dark corner.
"Daedalus Street isn't a place for good people."
What does he mean it's not a place for good people?
I was confused, but I was still angry.
When we left the tavern, the night air felt clean even though the smell of garbage and sewage wafted from the gutters.
I took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the rotten smell still clinging to my nose.
"Goddess," Gareth said while lighting a cigar, its smoke curling in the cold air, "we've got some good leads. The Sparrow gang at the eastern warehouse, and the pawn shop connection on Daedalus Street."
"But it's still not specific enough." I clenched my hands inside my robe.
"We need more than just rumors and general locations."
"The Goddess is right. To confirm what that rat said, we need to ask at several different places," Gareth puffed his cigar.
"There are still a few more places we can visit."
I felt Gareth was still reliable.
It wasn't a waste to pay him.
The next place was a small 24-hour eatery at the corner of a narrow street.
Its owner, an old grandmother named Martha, was famous as the eyes and ears of this district.
Whatever happened in her territory, she definitely knew.
Gareth told me that information.
"G-goddess?" Martha's eyes widened when she saw me enter.
"Oh my, what brings a goddess to a shabby place like this?"
I sat on a wobbly wooden bench.
"Um... H-hello, I want to ask something. I'm looking for a small child who robbed someone a few days ago. Near the Guild."
Martha poured hot tea into a cracked cup and placed it in front of me.
"Small child... there are so many street children here, Goddess."
She shook her head sadly while staring at the tea in front of her.
"The world's getting harder for poor children."
I fell silent.
Not just small children—I was also miserable when I was first kicked out by Hephaestus, so I know a little about what it's like to be poor.
Even though I felt a bit sad, I didn't forget my purpose.
"Do you know anything?"
"Hmm." Martha sat across from me, her wrinkled hands gripping her tea cup.
"A few days ago, I did hear some commotion in the alley near the Guild. A small child screaming, the sound of someone falling. But when I came out to look, there was no one there."
My heart beat faster.
"Which alley, Grandmother?"
"The small alley behind the Guild, the one with the big trash bin at the end. A dark place, rarely used by people."
That's most likely where Kaen was attacked.
Even though I wasn't sure.
I felt like this information still hadn't led us to the pickpocket culprit.
"Anything else Grandmother knows?"
Martha was quiet for a moment, as if hesitant to continue.
"Goddess... I don't like to accuse without proof. But lately, I've often seen strange children wandering around here. Two children—one small, one a bit bigger. They always wear shabby clothes but sometimes have money to buy expensive food."
"What do you mean, Grandmother?"
"This... Street children are usually consistently poor, Goddess. But these two children... sometimes they eat hard bread and water, sometimes they order meat and milk. It's not normal."
Yeah, that's definitely not normal.
They have a lot of money!
Gareth leaned forward.
"Grandmother ever see them talking to other people?"
"Once. With a middle-aged man wearing a brown robe. If I'm not wrong, that man had a snake-shaped tattoo. They met in front of Mordecai's pawn shop on Daedalus Street. But I couldn't hear their conversation."
Mordecai's pawn shop.
The same name mentioned by the previous informant.
Looks like Mordecai or whatever is where that child is.
But I felt doubtful, though I didn't say it.
"Thank you, Grandmother." I left several Valis coins on the table.
Feeling it was too little, I added a bit more.
"This information is very valuable."
"Be careful, Goddess," Martha said sincerely while gripping my hand.
"Daedalus Street... there's something wrong there. I sense something strange there."
After meeting with Grandmother Martha, we looked for more information.
The last place we visited was an illegal gambling house in the basement of an old building.
The smell of cigarette smoke and sweat filled the stuffy room.
The sound of rolling dice and shuffling cards mixed with curses from losing gamblers.
The third informant, a middle-aged woman with fake blonde hair, gave information that confirmed what we'd already heard.
"Two children, yeah?" she said while shuffling cards with skilled movements.
"Hmmm... How should I put it... I've seen them before."
"Where do they live?"
"Don't know for sure. But they're often seen around Daedalus Street. And I once heard them mention the name 'Uncle Mordecai' while chatting."
Again, Mordecai's name.
It became clearer that the pawn shop was the key to all this.
Now I was sure that pawn shop was definitely hiding that child.
After getting that information, Gareth and I searched several places for information.
The result was nothing.
Just like that, half a day was spent looking for information.
As midday approached, I returned to my old church with heavy steps.
My feet hurt, my robe was dirty and smelled of cigarette smoke.
"I need to shower... now!" I thought.
My body felt like it was covered in rotten smell.
I threw my robe on a chair and hurried to bathe.
Bathing with cold water somewhat dispelled the discomfort and cleared my mind that was starting to creep in like fog.
I stared at my two large orbs while holding them.
I felt these were very bothersome, making me tire easily.
"Damn... inconsiderate breasts," I grumbled while supporting both of them that swayed back and forth every time I moved.
"Did you steal all the nutrients?!"
With difficulty, I rinsed the remaining soap around my shoulders and neck.
Warm water washed my body, calming tense muscles, while the faint aroma of wildflower soap filled my nose.
But even this calming moment was disturbed by my own small complaints.
I felt...
shorter than I should be.
Or maybe they're too big?
I don't know.
I let out a long breath, trying to calm the annoyance directed at who knows who.
Once finished, I grabbed a towel, gently patting my skin dry.
After that, I sat back on the bed, combing my tangled hair.
Every pull of the comb felt like a small struggle against damp long hair, but gradually those strands became straight and neat again.
Without realizing it, ten minutes later, footsteps could be heard hurrying.
Eina entered with a tired face but her eyes sparkling with excitement.
She was carrying a piece of paper in her hand.
I was used to Eina never having empty hands every time she met me.
"How'd it go?" I asked while throwing my comb.
"You first."
I told her about my adventure in the underworld of shabby taverns, the rat-eyed informant, kind Grandmother Martha, and the gambling woman.
"All informants point to one name: Mordecai. Owner of a pawn shop on Daedalus Street. But everything's still too general."
Eina nodded while taking out her papers with sparkling eyes.
"I have much better news."
She spread out the timeline she'd compiled on the table.
Her hand pointed to each report she'd found with excited gestures I hadn't seen in days.
"Look at this. A very clear pattern. The same child, repeatedly committing small thefts in a consistent way. And most importantly..." She pointed to the last report with a finger slightly trembling from excitement.
"I have a really specific name and address."
"'Mordecai's Second-Hand' pawn shop, 47 Daedalus Street," I read slowly, feeling the scattered puzzle pieces starting to come together.
"And they once tried to sell stolen goods there."
"Exactly. Two children... One small, one older. The guard almost caught them but failed because they were too fast. This happened just a few days ago."
I stared at the map still spread on the table, looking for Daedalus Street with my finger.
"This... this isn't far from the Guild. And not far from the alley where that child stole from someone else."
"Which means it's most likely the same child who stole Kaen's money," Eina said while adjusting her glasses.
"Let's rest for a bit first," I said, while staring at my newly combed hair.
"Then... we'll visit that pawn shop. And we'll make that man named Mordecai talk, whether he wants to or not."
I looked at Eina who was smiling, while leaning tiredly on the sofa.
"And if Mordecai won't talk..." I said while looking at Eina.
"...We'll make him talk."
I stood up, grabbing my dark robe and brushing back my still half-wet hair.
"Eina, hurry... we're leaving now," I urged.
"Eh? Now?!" Eina was shocked, her eyes widening.
"There's no time," I said while pulling her wrist.
"Come on... before their trail goes cold."
Without time to tie up my hair, I dragged Eina out of that stuffy church, my steps hurried.